To put it simply it will be a disaster for most wildlife in developing regions that often rely on tourism concessions and gate fees for employing people to keep these animals safe. There has already been an immediate surge in rhino poaching in South Africa for example as soon as a lockdown was announced there. The same is true throughout most of Africa. No tourism = no protection for wildlife. Tourism and research also offers indirect protection, which is simply more eyes and ears within protected areas keeps illicit activities at bay.

Hi Carlos, you may want to be in touch with Movebank and Roland Kays who are interested in that question too! For wild boar, no big changes, there were already King in Town;)

COVID-19 spreads in different ways, therefore many countries have locked down, imposed curfew and strict rules and regulations with the purpose of reducing the movement of citizens. As a result of that people are now self-isolating and staying home to prevent the spread of the new corona virus.

Considering on wildlife, there is a major effect for urban wildlife. Because of thousands of animals exist in humanized landscapes, they have already well practised to interact with people for years. Sometimes, it may be a crucial

factor for survival since their need of food is fulfilled from these urban areas.Therefore, which could direct towards a behavioural change as people may have an opportunity to see wildlife more in roads and near shops. In contrast, forest wildlife may be much more happier about this condition since having less environmental pollution and hunting.

Thanks Kevin Morelle for you suggestion. I will be in touch with Movebank and Roland Kays. May you send me their contact? For the wild boars...no limits, we know...

Thank you very much Praneeth Silva for your reply and opinion. I agree with you in some way but banning or strongly reduce the control of some species could lead to an increasing of the Human-wildlife conflict in the near future.

Interesting question. I am at home working on a manuscript. This got me thinking about what other biologists are doing while self-isolating. I think there might be an increase in submission rates. People have allot more time on their hands.

These are the persons to contact:

Contacts

Dr. Roland Kays, Movebank PI, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and North Carolina State University: [email protected]

Dr. Martin Wikelski, Movebank PI, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and the University of Konstanz: [email protected]

Sarah Davidson, Movebank PI and Data Curator, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior: [email protected]

I am sure it will be boon for online classes and online businesses. Now, everyone, especially in a developing country like ours, is forced to do this. Everyone student is dependent on online classes. Every teacher has to give online classes, check assessments and projects. People are using online platforms for their daily needs. I am also very interested to know how this behaviour change will effect life in the long run.

Hello @Carlos Fonseca, the following project might be of interest for you. #SilentCities aims to collect data from cities around the world where human isolation has drastically changed the soundscape of the urban ecosystem. More information: https://renoir.hypotheses.org/files/2020/03/Silent%C2%B7Cities-Project.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0UEwUhd1VRF-uksFXGsjPMHyeOxR8RG_roS6VGVGusNVgCVTIMFzrItlM

Absence of human numbers from the park positively correlates with habitat restoration. However, freezing and/or down-scaling some of the park programs such as anti-poaching could be a lee-way for speedy poaching of protected species.

Hi.

I think that in many ways the human isolation at this moment is highly positive for natural protected areas and their wildlife, and for nature in general. A good example of this can be a bird species which breeds in sandy beaches usually plenty of people, Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus). Massive human presence in its habitat (mainly betwwen March and June) is clearly negative and affect the breeding success of this species. We can suppose, for this, that this year breeeding success can be higher than in "normal" years, but it's necessary to confirm such point.

Thanks Rubén Barone. And do you have the opportunity to evaluate such possibility? I mean, are you able to do field work at this moment in those sandy beaches?

Interesting question! I saw a news item that big cats in the Bronx zoo were showing respiratory symptoms like Covid. Is there any truth in this?

Hi again.

Well, I know some people working with the species in the Cape Verdes and the Canaries, including ringing programs with colour rings to follow the movements of the birds, but I don't know if they're doing fieldwork during this breeding season, due to the present restrictions of movements of people we have in the whole Spain and other countries in which the species is present (e.g. Italy).

Best regards.

To put it simply it will be a disaster for most wildlife in developing regions that often rely on tourism concessions and gate fees for employing people to keep these animals safe. There has already been an immediate surge in rhino poaching in South Africa for example as soon as a lockdown was announced there. The same is true throughout most of Africa. No tourism = no protection for wildlife. Tourism and research also offers indirect protection, which is simply more eyes and ears within protected areas keeps illicit activities at bay.

It brings an excitement to sight wildlife species moving freely in urban settlements during a prolonged lock down. But there is a risk that wildlife might claim parts urban areas as their territory later. This may result in serious conflicts in the process of driving them back into the forest.

Dear Julian D. Reynolds

It seems that something happen with a Malayan tiger in Bronx zoo: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/04/tiger-coronavirus-covid19-positive-test-bronx-zoo/

That's true Darcy Ogada! Another point of view of the real impact of COVID-19 in wildlife management and conservation in most African National Parks.

Thanks.

We should accept the natural change.

Many thanks Carlos. It provides some evidence that viruses such as Covid-19 can move between species. I wonder why cats are susceptible, and whether they figures in the Wuhan wet markets.

Hi again.

Another possitive effect of Covid-19 human quarantine is that some cetaceans are approaching the coast more than usual, as confirmed in both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic during recent weeks. See e.g. this link:

https://www.connexionfrance.com/French-news/Two-huge-fin-whales-seen-off-coast-of-Marseille

It is too early to comment. Sufficient information needs to be gathered through research.

I am of the opinion that the COVID-19 pandemic has helped our environment in man

1. reduction in noise pollution

2. reduction in GHG emission

3. reduction in natural habitat disturbances

4. reduction food and non-food consumption, and

5. reduction in overall anthropogenic productivity, to specify few examples. However, all these points have to be backed by data and thorough review ......

Dear Carlos Fonseca

This pandemic may have severe consequences for the economies of countries, but without a doubt it has a very positive impact on wildlife, especially in terms of reducing the anthropic factor, which is the main factor causing environmental damage.

Interesting question... I think humans in many areas, but specially around cities will now see more wildlife, which probably in most cases has been always there but not so visible as now. Which may make those wildlife individuals more prone to good (if people recognize and want to leave them alone or protect) or bad (if people now are aware that we live with some that are for some considered bad/annoying/dangerous?). I also think many wild organisms will move more freely during this time in some open areas and between forested areas and agricultural fields, if some people done go out as often as before, but things won't really change much. I don't think people will make big changes after a while when we go back to business as usual. Probably some individuals in cities will be more conscious about the planet and will start personal changes that in a near future will make some important changes in how we do business now versus other options.

https://www.conservation.org/stories/impact-of-covid-19-on-nature

Just I shared some knowledge of mine about Coronavirus.

Nothing, only careful handling is enough.

Dear Dr. Carlos Fonseca ,

Many countries around the world went into lockdown to control the spread of Covid-19. Brought about by the most tragic circumstances, this period of unusually reduced human mobility can provide invaluable insights into human-wildlife interactions.

There have been countless posts on social media over the past few months reporting unusual wildlife encounters. Anecdotal observations, especially from metropolitan areas, suggest that nature has responded to lockdown.

If you need more information, you can follow this link:

http://ddnews.gov.in/people/impact-human-activity-wildlife-blame-covid-19-study

FYI our recent comment on that topic where we introduce the word "Anthropause"

for this period of unusually reduced human mobility:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-020-1237-z